The Project

Undercroft Montessori School is the first and only American Montessori Society Accredited Montessori School in the state of Oklahoma. Located in midtown Tulsa, Undercroft was founded in 1964 and has a history of innovative learning principals and results. When the school desired an expansion to add a middle school, LMMA architects with assistance from, KSQ provided master planning, programming, and design for Undercroft’s one-story “village” campus concept.

The design approach included gabled roofs and materials reflective of the homelike character of the original building on campus, with proportions in scale for school age children. The plan featured separate buildings–connected by a sky-lit corridor spine–for different groups ranging from three-years-old through 8th grade.

In addition to extensive natural playscapes to foster creative outdoor play, our exterior design also included carpool lanes, driveways and parking areas that are contained and separate from student and parent pathways.

Implementing a plan of phased construction kept Undercroft under continuous operation during the school year. The project required land use easements, coordination with the neighborhood and fund-raising. During the master planning phase a fund raising package was developed which assisted in community awareness and participation.